Service Learning Assignments The Interesect Between Assignment Framing, Student Motivation, and Perceived Relevance

SERVICE LEARNING ASSIGNMENTS: THE INTERSECT BETWEEN ASSIGNMENT FRAMING, STUDENT MOTIVATION, AND PERCEIVED RELEVANCE A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science By Tori Kae Benders In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Major Department: Communication June 2018 Fargo, North Dakota North Dakota State University Graduate School Title SERVICE LEARNING ASSIGNMENTS: THE INTERSECT BETWEEN ASSIGNMENT FRAMING, STUDENT MOTIVATION, AND PERCEIVED RELEVANCE By Tori Kae Benders The Supervisory Committee certifies that this disquisition complies with North Dakota State University’s regulations and meets the accepted standards for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Dr Carrie Anne Platt Chair Dr Catherine Kingsley Westerman Dr Melissa Vosen Callens Dr Erika Beseler Thompson Approved: July 27th, 2018 Dr Stephenson Beck Date Department Chair ABSTRACT Although learning has traditionally happened within the four walls of a classroom, as service learning courses become more prevalent, instructors are challenging their students to take learning outside of the classroom and into the community Service learning has the potential to transform students and their learning, it is not widely known how to ensure students are motivated to complete these assignments and see them as relevant to their futures This study used social determination theory and a 2X2 experimental design to survey 271 students about their motivation to complete a service learning project presented to them in an assignment sheet and perceived relevance of the assignment and overall attitude toward service learning Findings indicate that overall students have positive attitudes toward service learning, are moderately motivated to complete service learning assignments, and see them as relevant How the assignment sheet is framed largely does not have implications for these feelings Keywords: service learning, social determination theory, assignment framing, motivation, relevance iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend gratitude and thanks to several people who have helped in the last few years as I have pursued an education in Communication If it were not for the people listed below (any many others) I would not be where and who I am today and without their patience, love, and support I would not have achieved the things I have today both inside and outside the classroom: To my committee as a whole, thank you, thank you, thank you I cannot think of a stronger, more brilliant, or patient group of scholars, educators, and women than the four of you Without each of your unique contributions this project would have never happened Dr Carrie Anne Platt, my research adviser Thank you for the advice, encouragement, feedback, suggestions, and support I will never forget how nervous I was to ask if you would be my advisor and I am so glad that I got the courage to so Thank you for igniting in me a passion for teaching and for higher education I work daily to emulate your passion for your students, kindness towards those around you, and ability to make people feel accepted and needed A million thanks as I would not be where I am today without you Dr Catherine Kingsley Westerman, my committee member and professor I am so grateful for you and everything you have done for me in the last year I will be forever indebted to you for the hours you spent giving feedback on my papers and assignments, afternoons spent helping me understand statistics, and ability to push me out of my comfort zone Everything I know about statistics and SPSS is due to your patience and instruction Thank you for reminding me that sometimes learning is uncomfortable and that’s okay Dr Melissa Vosen Callens, my committee member Thank you for the time and effort you have spent giving feedback and advice on this project From the very first time we met, I iv have been incredibly grateful to have someone so dedicated to teaching and knowledgeable about pedagogy on my committee Dr Erika Beseler Thompson, my committee member Your knowledge of teaching practice and pedagogy and research experience was invaluable to this project Thank you for your time, your effort, your feedback, and your advice I learned so much from you even in our brief meetings I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my past professors at Concordia College and their contribution to my education, as they are the people who first ignited in me a passion for the field of Communication Dr Stephanie Ahlfeldt, Dr Cindy Larson-Casselton, Dr Kai Western, and Dr Aileen Buslig, you four started it all Thank you for the foundation in communication research and theory and a passion for the field This foundation is what everything else was built from You each taught me so much about this field and perhaps more importantly taught me how to approach this world with grace, joy, and light If it were not for each of your advice and pushing I would have never ended up in graduate school I am lucky to have crossed paths with each of you Next, I would like to express profound gratitude to my family and friends To my sisters Leah and Jennifer, and my “adopted” grandparents Chyrel and Bruce, thank you for providing unfailing love and support for the last 24 years of my life To my partner Brady and friends, thanks for listening to me vent about research, teaching, and thesis writing without batting an eye The wine nights and venting sessions will never be forgotten Without each of you this accomplishment would not be possible Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues and NDSU friends v Thank you to my officemates Emily Haverkamp and Jacob Nelson for providing a fun and supportive, if not very productive, environment I always looked forward to walking into Mindard 338- D24 Thank you each for your research advice, listening ears, and jokes I will not soon be forgetting the stories from this last year Lastly, I would like to thank the graduate students in the Communication Department as a whole and especially my cohort for making the last two years at NDSU unforgettable Each of you will change the world in your own unique ways and it was an honor to have crossed paths with you While I can take a breath now that I am finished, I would be lying if I said I will not miss this and each of you vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES ix CHAPTER INTRODUCTION CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW Service Learning History of Service Learning Perceptions of Students Perceptions of Faculty 10 Perceptions of Community Partners 11 Student Motivation and Service Learning 13 Content and Course Relevance and Student Motivation 14 Theoretical Framework 16 Self Determination Theory 17 Self Determination Theory and Communication Style 19 Hypothesis and Research Questions 21 CHAPTER METHOD 25 Recruitment 25 Participants 26 Procedures 27 Materials 28 Manipulation 28 Manipulation Check 28 vii Motivation to Complete Assignment 29 Perceived Knowledge Transfer Scale (PKTS) 29 Voluntary Functions Inventory (VFI) 30 Pilot Study 30 CHAPTER RESULTS 33 Manipulation Check 33 Main Study Data 34 Post-Hoc Analysis 36 CHAPTER DISCUSSION 38 Implications 41 Limitations and Directions for Future Research 42 REFERENCES 46 APPENDIX A RECRUITMENT EMAILS 58 APPENDIX B INFORMED CONSENT 60 APPENDIX C MANIPULATED ASSIGNMENT SHEETS 63 APPENDIX D MOTIVATION SCALE 69 APPENDIX E MODIFIED VOLUNTARY FUNCTIONS INVENTORY (VFI) 70 APPENDIX F MANIPULATION CHECK AND PILOT STUDY 72 APPENDIX G PERCIEVED KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER SCALE (PKTS) 74 APPENDIX H DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE 75 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Correlation matrix with means and standard deviations…………………………………37 ix CHAPTER INTRODUCTION All institutions of higher learning should aim to deliver high quality education to their students, and instructors should aim to assign and implement high impact assignments Quality education insures the development of the whole person, including his or her growth in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning (Alcartado, Camarse, Legaspi, Mostajo, & Buenaventura, 2017) The ways in which instructors communicate assignments and course material to their students plays an important role in facilitating this growth While learning and development has traditionally happened within the four walls of a classroom, as service learning courses become more prevalent, university instructors are challenging their students to take their learning outside of the classroom and into the community Service learning is a high impact and potentially powerful pedagogical practice (Kuh, 2008) in which students participate in creditbearing service requirements with partner community agencies (Bringle & Hatcher, 1996) The practice has the potential to transform students and their approach to learning, but while it is not necessarily a new social and educational concept, it does largely lack a well-defined and articulated theoretical and conceptual framework and in terms of pedagogical practices, is relatively new in its implementation (Giles & Eyler, 1994; Alcartado et al., 2017) As service learning becomes more prevalent in higher education, it is of increasing importance that it is mutually beneficial for all parties involved including the students, instructors, community partners, and universities as a whole (Lewis, 2004) This paper aims to fill important gaps in educational, communication, motivational, and service learning literature by answering questions regarding how instructors use assignment sheets to communicate with their students and the implications that goal framing and communication style can have on a student’s perceived relevancy of and motivation to complete a service learning assignment Do I have to take part in the study? Your participation in this research is completely voluntary If you decide to participate in the study, you may change your mind and stop participating at any time Who will have access to the information that I give? We will keep private all research records that identify you, to the extent allowed by law Survey files will be stored in a password protected file on a computer that is only accessible to the primary investigator and the co-investigators Data and records created by this project are owned by NDSU and the researchers You may view information collected from you by making a written request to the researchers You may only view information collected from you, and not information collected about others participating in the project What if I have questions? If you have any questions about the study, you can contact the lead researcher, Dr Carrie Anne Platt, at carrieanne.platt@ndsu.edu What are my rights as a research participant? You have rights as a participant in research If you have questions about your rights, or complaints about this research, you may talk to the researcher or contact the NDSU Human Research Protection Program at:    Telephone: 701.231.8908 · Email: ndsu.irb@ndsu.edu Mail: NDSU HRPP, 1735 NDSU Research Park Dr., NDSU Dept 4000, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050 The role of the Human Research Protection Program is to see that your rights are protected in this research; more information about your rights can be found at: www.ndsu.edu/research/irb Documentation of Informed Consent: You are freely making a decision whether to be in this research study Continuing with this survey means that: You have read and understood this consent form You have decided to be in the study You may contact Dr Carrie Anne Platt to request a copy of this consent form to keep if you so choose 61 CLICKING THE “CONTINUE” BUTTON BELOW SIGNIFIES THAT YOU HAVE READ THE INFORMED CONSENT AND AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY 62 APPENDIX C MANIPULATED ASSIGNMENT SHEETS Note: assignment sheets are highlighted for ease in identifying manipulations These highlights will not be present in assignment sheets presented to students The key is as follows: XXXX = Extrinsic Goal Framing XXXX = Intrinsic Goal Framing XXXX = Autonomous-Support Communication Style XXXX = Controlling Communication Style 63 Extrinsic/Controlling Condition Service Learning Assignment Due Date: May 1, 2018 Purpose: Your main assignment in this course will be to participate in a service-learning project for an organization in the community, which will offer you the opportunity to add impressive experience to your resume and aid you in your future career This assignment will help you prepare for your future career and increase your salary earning potential by: · Serving as an opportunity to network · Helping you build your resume · Providing experience that will be valuable to you as you begin your career after graduation Volunteering is a rewarding experience that research shows increases one's likelihood of being hired at top companies Often times, students find that through their volunteer experience they are offered the opportunity to explore a possible career field, meet people who serve as important contacts and references once they start their careers, and offer valuable experiences for their resumes I know you will find this project just as useful for your future career as they have! This project will last the duration of the semester and make up a significant portion of your total points for your final grade, so you need to take it seriously At the end of the semester, you will be required to write a final paper reflecting on your time volunteering in your organization and how it connects to course concepts and theories You also must prepare a presentation of your experience for your classmates Details for these assignments will be given later in the semester Keep in mind that they will be worth a lot of the points that make up your grade for the semester Requirements: You must spend at least 30 hours at your community agency over the course of the semester *This time must be split equally throughout the semester, with service lasting three hours a week for the 10 weeks of the semester You will be filling out a time sheet, which must be signed by your agency contact and turned in every Friday This semester you will be assigned to the community agency at which you will be working I have gathered a list of community agencies in need in the area and will be assigning you each to one of the agencies *Once you receive your community agency, you must email the contact person I provide you with immediately to set up a time to be oriented with the organization and CC me on the email You are required to write a final paper at the end of the semester about this assignment, how it relates to our course content, and how this experience will play a role in your future career 64 *In order to assist you in this paper, it is essential that you write weekly journals documenting your time serving You will not formally turn these in for points, but I reserve the right to check in randomly to ensure that these are being done Intrinsic/Controlling Condition Service Learning Assignment Due Date: May 1, 2018 Purpose: Your main assignment in this course will be to participate in a service-learning project for an organization in the community, which will offer you the opportunity to grow as a person and as a community member This assignment will help you to learn more about yourself and make a difference by: · Allowing you to take your learning outside of the classroom · Offering much needed insight and services to a valuable cause · Learning more about how your personal strengths can serve community needs Volunteering is a rewarding experience that will allow you to not only grow as a student, but as a whole person as well Often times, students find that their outlooks on certain causes, people, or issues are changed as a result of volunteering in the community, and many find the activity so rewarding they choose to continue volunteering long after the assignment is finished I know you will find this project just as rewarding as they have! This project will last the duration of the semester and will be a time of huge personal growth for you as an individual, so you need to take it seriously At the end of the semester, you will be required to write a final paper reflecting on your time volunteering in your organization and how it connects to course concepts and theories You also must prepare a presentation of your experience for your classmates Details for these assignments will be given later in the semester and will offer you a time to truly reflect on all that you've experienced and the growth you've felt personally Requirements: You must spend at least 30 hours at your community agency over the course of the semester *This time must be split equally throughout the semester, with service lasting three hours a week for the 10 weeks of the semester You will be filling out a service time sheet, which must be signed by your agency contact and turned in every Friday 2.This semester you will be assigned your community agency at which you will be serving I have gathered a list of community agencies in need in the area and will be assigning you each to one of the agencies 65 *Once you receive your community agency, you must email the contact person I provide you with immediately to set up a time to be oriented with the organization and CC me on the email 3.You will write final reflection paper at the end of the semester about your time serving, how it relates to our course content, any people or situations you found particularly moving, and how you grew as a person and scholar through out the experience *In order to assist you in this paper, it is essential that you write weekly journals reflecting on your time serving You will not formal turn these in for points, but I reserve the right to check in randomly to ensure that this is being done Extrinsic/Autonomous-Support Condition Service Learning Assignment Due Dates: May 1, 2018 Purpose: Your main assignment in this course will be to participate in a service-learning project for an organization in the community, which will offer you the opportunity to add impressive experience to your resume and hopefully aid in starting your career in the future This assignment will help you prepare for your future career and increase your salary earning potential by: · Serving as an opportunity to network · Helping you build your resume · Providing experience that will be valuable to you as you begin your career after graduation · This project will last the duration of the semester and make up a significant portion of your total points for your final grade, so I recommend that you take it seriously Volunteering is a rewarding experience that research shows increases one's likelihood of being hired at top companies Often times, students find that through their volunteer experience they are offered the opportunity to explore a possible career field, meet people who serve as important contacts and references once they start their careers, and offer valuable experiences for their resumes I know you will find this project just as rewarding and valuable for your future career as they have! At the end of the semester, you will write a final paper reflecting on your time volunteering in your organization and how it connects to course concepts and theories You will also be asked to prepare a presentation of your experience for your classmates Details for these assignments will be given later in the semester Keep in mind that they will be worth a lot of the points that make up your grade for the semester Tips for Success: You will spend a total of 30 hours at your community agency over the course of the semester 66 * It is a good idea to split these hours up equally throughout the weeks of the semester, but it is largely up to you how you spend them I will provide a list of service agencies in the community and you are welcome to choose one that you find most interesting or are most passionate about *Please notify me through email once you have chosen an agency and contacted that agency You’ll write a final paper at the end of the semester about your time working, how it relates to our course content, and how this experience will play a role in your future career Largely, you have the creative freedom to include what you find important or valuable about this experience in your paper *It is a good idea to keep a regular journal and jot down some notes about your experience after each time you serve This journal could serve as a valuable tool once you start writing the final paper, I may check in from time to time to see if you are completing this Intrinsic/Autonomous-Support Condition Service Learning Assignment Due Dates: May 1, 2018 Purpose: Your main assignment in this course will be to participate in a service-learning project for an organization in the community, which will help you grow as a person and as a community member This project will last the duration of the semester and should be a time of huge personal growth for you as an individual This assignment will help you to learn more about yourself and make a difference by: · Allowing you to take your learning outside of the classroom · Offering much needed insight and services to a valuable cause · Learning more about how your personal strengths can serve community needs Volunteering is often a very rewarding experience, which will allow you to not only grow as a student, but as a whole person as well Often times, students find that their outlooks on certain causes, people, or issues are changed as a result of volunteering in the community, and many find the activity so rewarding they choose to continue volunteering long after the assignment is finished I hope you will find this project just as rewarding as they have! At the end of the semester, you will write a final paper reflecting on your time volunteering in your organization and how it connects to course concepts and theories You will also be asked to prepare a presentation of your experience for your classmates Details for these assignments will be given later in the semester and will offer you a time to truly reflect on all that you've experienced and the growth you've felt personally 67 Tips for Success: 1.You will spend a total of 30 hours at your community agency over the course of the semester * It is a good idea to split these hours up equally throughout the weeks of the semester, but it is largely up to you how you spend these hours I will provide a list of service agencies in the community and you are welcome to choose one that you find most interesting or are most passionate about *Please notify me through email once you have chosen an agency and contacted that agency 3.You will write a final reflection paper at the end of the semester about your time serving, how it relates to our course content, and how you grew as a person and scholar through out the experience Largely, you have the creative freedom to include what you find important or valuable about this experience in your paper *It is a good idea to keep a regular journal and jot down some notes about your experience after each time you serve This journal could serve as a valuable tool once you start writing the final paper I may check in from time to time to see if you are completing this 68 APPENDIX D MOTIVATION SCALE Imagine that you are required to complete the assignment that was just presented to you as part of your required coursework Please rate how you feel about completing this assignment on the scales below *Motivated Unmotivated *Interested Uninterested *Involved Uninvolved Not Stimulated Stimulated Don’t want to it Do want to it *Inspired Uninspired Unchallenged Challenged Uninvigorated Invigorated Unenthused Enthused 10 *Excited Not excited 11 *Aroused Not aroused 12 Not Fascinated Fascinated Note: items denoted with a “*” are reverse coded 69 APPENDIX E MODIFIED VOLUNTARY FUNCTIONS INVENTORY (VFI) Please think about service learning assignments in general and rate your feelings about the following statements on the scales provided, with 1= Strongly Disagree; = Disagree; 3= Somewhat Disagree; 4=Neither Agree or Disagree; 5= Somewhat Agree; 6= Agree; 7= Strongly Agree Service learning can help me get my foot in the door at a place where I would like to work (Career) I am concerned about those less fortunate than myself (Values) Service learning makes me feel important (Enhancement) No matter how badly I’ve been feeling, service learning helps me forget about it (Protective) I am genuinely concerned about the particular group I am serving in a service learning project (Values) By participating in service learning I feel less lonely (Protective) I can make new contacts that might help my business or career (Career) Participating in service learning relieves me of some of the guilt of being more fortunate than others (Protective) Service learning helps me to learn more about the coursework which I am learning (Understanding) 10 Participating in service learning increases my self-esteem (Enhancement) 11 Service learning allows me to gain a new perspective on coursework (Understanding) 12 Service learning allows me to explore different career options (Career) 13 I feel compassion toward people in need (Values) 14 Service learning lets me learn through direct, hands-on experience (Understanding) 15 I feel it is important to help others (Values) 16 Participating in service learning helps me work through my own personal problems (Protective) 17 Service learning will help me to succeed in my chosen profession (Career) 70 18 Through service learning, I can something for a cause that is important to me (Values) 19 Service learning is a good escape from my own troubles (Protective) 20 Through service learning projects I can learn how to deal with a variety of people (Understanding) 21 Service learning makes me feel needed (Enhancement) 22 Service learning makes me feel better about myself (Enhancement) 23 Service learning experience will look good on my resume (Career) 24 Service learning is a good way to make new friends (Enhancement) 25 By participating in a service learning project, I can explore my own strengths (Understanding) 71 APPENDIX F MANIPULATION CHECK AND PILOT STUDY Goal Content Emphasized Imagine that you are required to complete the assignment that was just presented to you as part of your required coursework Please rate how you feel about completing this assignment on the scales below “For this assignment…” Will help Will help me me be a better add a line to person my resume Will help me grow as an overall person Will help me get a job someday Will be satisfying because I’m making a difference Will help advance my career *Mostly helps my resume look good Helps me grow personally Is worth doing for the points Is worth doing because it’s for a good cause Note: items denoted with a “*” are reverse coded 72 Communication Style Used: Imagine that you are required to complete the assignment that was just presented to you as part of your required coursework Please rate how you feel about completing this assignment on the scales below “For this assignment, the instructor is…” *Is restrictive Allows me freedom Will allow me to complete as I wish Will make me complete as they wish Has loose guidelines Has tight guidelines Is flexible Is very structured *Sets a schedule for me Allows me to choose my own schedule *Let’s me be creative in completing Restricts my creativity in completing Note: items denoted with a “*” are reverse coded 73 APPENDIX G PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER SCALE (PKTS) Please think about the service learning assignment you were just presented and rate your feelings about the following statements on the scales provided, with 1= Strongly Disagree; = Disagree; 3= Somewhat Disagree; 4=Neither Agree or Disagree; 5= Somewhat Agree; 6= Agree; 7= Strongly Agree I feel confident in my ability to apply what I will learn from this assignment to other classes I have I feel confident in my ability to apply what I learn from this assignment in my future professional life I feel as if the experiences I will have in this assignment will be relevant to my future Given the future career I want to pursue, it is important for me to learn from this experience I understand how I will use what I learn from this assignment in my professional life Information learned from this assignment will inform my future learning experiences I believe it is important for me to learn the information included in this assignment The information learned from this assignment will help me become a more well-rounded individual 74 APPENDIX H DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE Gender a Male b Female c Other Year in School a First-Year b Sophomore c Junior d Senior e Other Major Have you participated in community based volunteer work before? a Yes b No Have you participated in service learning for a college course before? a Yes b No Do you think service learning is valuable in higher education? a Definitely No b Probably No c Undecided d Probably Yes e Definitely Yes 75 ... assignment and perceived relevance of the assignment The more relevant students found the assignment to be, the more highly they rated service learning in general, and the more motivated they were... understand service learning and how assignment framing, communication style, and goal type emphasized impact students’ motivation to complete the assignment, perceived relevance of the assignment, and. .. frame their service learning assignments to increase student motivation and perceived relevance for the task at hand and in-turn create a better, more well-rounded, and more powerful service learning